Neck-yoke center.



J. ZIEGLER.

NECK YOKE CENTER.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 19, 1911.

Patented Nov. 28, 1911.

w vmaowo nNITED STATES r anNT OFFICE.

JACOB ZIEGLER, 0F COFFEYVILLE, KANSAS.

NECK-YOKE CENTER.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Jason ZIEGLER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Coffeyville, in the county of Montgomery and State ofKansas, have invented a new and useful Neck-Yoke Center, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to neck yoke centers of that class which embody acatch or similar means to engage with a rigid stop flange provided on.the pole tip, and the object of the invention is to improve theconstruction by providing a catch which will accurately fit the flangeand reduce to a minimum the lost motion of the center on the pole tip,and thereby avoid the heavy pounding of the flange by the center whichis produced by the motion of the horses.

"With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in theconstruction and novel combination of parts hereinafter fully described,illustrated in the accompanying drawing, and pointed out in the claimhereto appended; it being understood that various changes in the form,proportion, size and minor details of construction, within the scope ofthe claim, may be resorted to without departing from the spirit orsacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the drawing :-F igure 1 is a perspec- 'tive view of a neck yokecenter, constructed in accordance with this invention, the pole and theneck yoke being illustrated in dotted lines. Fig. 2 is a centrallongitudinal view of the neck yoke center, the pole being shown inelevation. Fig. 3 isa transverse sectional view on the line 33 of F ig.2.

Like numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in all thefigures of the drawing.

In the accompanying drawing in which is illustrated the preferredembodiment of the invention, 1 designates a pole receiving ring, adaptedto be arranged on the pole tip 2 and constructed of suitable metal, andprovided at its rear end with an enlarged transverse peripheral flange3, adapted to materially increase the strength of the pole receivingring and having a curved lower edge 4, and tapered at its upper portionand merging into an approximately L-shaped arm 5, formed integral withthe top of the pole receiving ring and reinforced by a centrallyarranged front web 6, which extends Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed May 19, 1911.

Patented Nov. 28, 1911. Serial No. 628,303.

from the arm 5 along the top portion of the pole receiving ring. Thepole tip 2, which is fitted on a pole 7 is of the usual construction andis provided at its underside with a depending stop flange 8, arranged ata slight inclination and fitting against the rear flanged end of thepole receiving ring 1. The flange 3 of the pole receiving ring is set ata slight inclination to fit the stop flange 8, and the opening of thepole receiving ring is of slightly greater diameter than the exteriordiameter of the pole tip to permit the neck yoke center to have alimited up and down play on the pole tip.

The pole receiving ring is securely retained on the pole tip by a curvedbar 9 of approximately semi-circular shape, eXtending around the lowerportion of the pole tip in spaced relation and substantially parallelwith the flange 3 and the stop flange 8, when the former is in contactwith the latter, and provided with forwardly extending approximatelyhorizontal terminals 10, located at opposite sides of the center of thepole receiving ring and formed integral with the peripheral flangethereof at the ends of the lower curved edge 4 of the same. The curvedbar forms a guiding loop and is located in rearof the stop flange 8, andit is normally spaced from the same and the pole to permit a limitedbackward and forward play of the neck yoke center. The curvature of thebar 9 is coincident with the curved lower edge 8 of the flange. Thespace above the curved bar 9 is open, and when the neck yoke center isinverted, the stop flange is readily brought opposite the space betweenthe flange 3 and the curved bar, and by partially rotating the neck yokecenter 011 the pole, the neck yoke center is brought to an uprightposition, and the stop flange is arranged in the space between thecurved bar and the flange 4. The neck yoke center is detached from thepole by rotating it one half of a revolution to arrange the open spaceabove the curved bar opposite the stop flange 8. The neck yoke centermay then be readily removed from the pole.

The diameter of the flange 3 exceeds the diameter of the pole-receivingring at all points, and being perfectly flat, it affords a firm bearingfor the stop flange 8 at all times and particularly so when the horsesare holding back. When the ring 1 is given a partial rotation around thepole tip, the

flange 3 and bar 9 play loosely on opposite sides of the stop flange,but the movement is not so great in extent as to cause the parts tobecome disengaged.

The L-shaped arm 5 consists of an upright portion and a rearwardlyextending portion, preferably arranged at a slight inclination andextending rearwardly from the upright portion and provided with flatupper and lower faces to which are pivoted forwardly extending lugs 11and 12 of upper and lower sections 13 and 14 of a neck yoke receivingsleeve 15. The forwardly projecting lugs are provided with alinedopenings, and they have annular bosses or flanges 17, surrounding theopenings at the inner faces of the lugs 11 and 12 and fitting within anopening 18 of the rearwardly extending portion of the arm 5. An uprightpivot bolt 19 extends through the openings and pivots the sleeve 15 tothe rearwardly extending portion of the arm 5, and it permits the neckyoke 20 to play back and forth in case the horses do not travel even.The annular bosses or flanges 17 surround the pivot bolt and relieve thelatter of wear incident to the pivotal movement of the neck yoke. Thesections 13 and 14 of the sleeves are provided with rearwardly extendingears or lugs 21 and 22, having registering perforations for thereception of a bolt 23, which clamps the sections 13 and 14 on the neckyoke 20. The sections 13 and 14 are also preferably secured to the neckyoke by screws 24, or other suitable fastening devices, piercing theupper and lower sections 13 and 14 and em bedded in the neck yoke.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desireto secure by Letters Patent, is:

A neck yoke center comprising a polereceiving ring provided at its rearwith a flange which projects laterally from the ring around theperiphery thereof, said flange presenting a flat, rear face which is setat an inclination, and having a curved lower edge and a tapered upperportion merging into an approximately L-shaped arm, means for pivotallyconnecting a neck yoke to said arm, a bar integral with the flange, saidbar being spaced from the lower edge of the flange and having acurvature coincident with said edge and arranged substantially paralleltherewith, the ends of said bar being extended forwardly and merginginto the flange at the ends of the curved portion thereof, said barforming a guiding loop for the stop flange of the pole in the usualoscillations of the pole-receiving ring around the pole tip and servingto restrict the longitudinal movement of the said ring on the pole tip.

In testimony, that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have heretoaffixed my signa ture in the presence of two Witnesses.

JACOB ZIEGLER.

LULU POWELL.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents. Washington, I). G.

